EHR Incentive Payments

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act
amends Title XXX of the Public Health Service Act by adding a number of funding
opportunities to advance health information technology using certified electronic
health records and other technology and connectivity required to meaningfully use
and exchange electronic health information.

Background Legislation and Regulations

Under HITECH, eligible health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare
and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and use
it to achieve specified objectives.

Two regulations have been released, one of which defines the “meaningful use” objectives
that providers must meet to qualify for the bonus payments, and the other which
identifies the technical capabilities required for certified EHR technology.

Incentive Program for Electronic
Health Records: Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
this final rule defines the minimum requirements that providers must meet through
their use of certified EHR technology in order to qualify for the payments.

Standards and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Records: Issued by
the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, this rule
identifies the standards and certification criteria for the certification of EHR
technology, so eligible professionals and hospitals may be assured that the systems
they adopt are capable of performing the required functions.

For the first year of Medicaid payment, providers need only attest to having adopted,
implemented or upgraded certified EHR technology.